KIM CORPANY              BRONZE HORSE SCULPTURES
(801)845-5168     HORSE ART, BRONZE HORSE SCULPTURE & BRONZE HORSE STATUES

To commission a custom bronze sculpture, bronze statue,
monument or trophy
contact Equine Artist
Kim Corpany
1(801)845-5168
or send an email to kim@corpany.com
Links to bronze sculpture
care and preservation products:


Johnsons Paste Wax mail order
This excellent product is no longer generally available in stores, but can be ordered here from SC Johnson company


Patina artist in Utah:

I recommend patina artist
Laurie Tidwell and her company Patina Works for excellent patina on bronze sculpture
1(801)367-1276

Sculpture and mold making supplies in Utah:
 
3D Art sells clay, sculpture tools, and mold making supplies
1(801) 966-1372

Why buy Bronze Sculpture cast in the USA?

Buying American made bronze sculptures gives a quality assurance of the artwork you are purchasing.

The reasons that the price of bronze sculptures imported from Mexico, South America, or Asia are so low include:
-quality of the bronze metal used in the sculpture
-quality of craftsmanship
-working conditions
-cost of labor in these countries.

The minimum standard for bronze in the United States of America is 90% copper.  Imported bronze usually tests at only 50% to 55% copper.

The quality of the bronze effects the resilience of the bronze sculpture as well as its ability to accept patina.  Cheap imported bronze sculptures will generally not hold up to weather well, it's color taking on a corrosive residue quickly because of the low copper content in the bronze, sometimes even rusting depending on the metal content.  Any repair work needed on a bronze sculpture is nearly impossible with poor quality bronze.  Being able to make repairs or refurbishment of a bronze sculpture is not a problem with high quality bronze

Our foundry uses high quality silicon bronze with 95% copper.
The standard for American bronze sculptures. 

Because Kim Corpany's bronze sculptures are cast of this high quality US bronze, they are made to last thousands of years and the patina of these bronze sculptures is lasting and beautiful.

Go to the gallery of bronze horse sculpture
click here


(801)845-5168
kim@corpany.com 

Kim Corpany's Western bronze sculptures and American Cowboy art is all created and cast in the USA by an American artist and a USA Bronze Foundry.  
Bronze sculptures individually cast from high quality silicon bronze by an American Fine Art Bronze Foundry.
 


Go to the bronze horse sculpture gallery - click here

 

Bronze sculptures  by Equine Artist Kim Corpany.

Kim Corpany's bronze sculpture can be seen internationally.
Her most recent monumental
bronze sculpture of an
Arabian horse is now located in Abu Dhabi, UAE.

Contact Kim to begin the creation
of your custom bronze horse sculpture today.

1(801)845-5168
 
email:
kim@corpany.com

Contact Equine Artist
Kim Corpany
1(801)845-5168
or send an email to kim@corpany.com

A custom bronze horse sculpture can become a landmark which makes your riding arena memorable as well as easier to locate.  Bronze horse sculptures provide a more subtle and classy way of advertising your stable, even areas where large signage is not allowed.  In areas where billboards or signs cannot be used.  A big bronze horse sculpture makes a statement and leaves a lasting impression. 
Visitors and clients will remember your barn or home above the others they visit because of the beautiful custom bronze horse sculpture they saw as they were arriving at and leaving your horse barn.

Go to the gallery of
bronze horse sculpture
click here

Kim Corpany's bronze sculptures are full of life.  To look at them draws a person in, waiting for the bronze sculpture to move, looking for the bronze horse's ear to twitch, the tail to swish or the horse to breathe.
Kim has made a life-long pursuit of understanding horses from the inside out and it shows in her remarkable horse sculptures.  Kim's bronze sculptures tell the stories of the horses and riders that they are modeled after.  The bronze sculptures speak to the viewer with emotion and presence.


Contact Equine Artist
Kim Corpany
1(801)845-5168
or send an email to
kim@corpany.com


Go to the gallery of bronze sculpture  

Kim Corpany was working with Stan Watts' Atlas Bronze Casting foundry when they were contracted by Icon Bronze to make a mold and casting from the original bronze sculpture of Seabiscuit by Tex Wheeler. The original bronze statue of Seabiscuit was located at Ridgewood ranch near Willits, CA while the horse's owners Charles and Marcela Howard owned the ranch. After Charles passed away the ranch was sold and the statue was donated to the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame located in Saratoga, NY. Stan Watts and Atlas Bronze Casting's team of master mold makers traveled to New York State to make a mold from the bronze Thoroughbred statue. The then shipped the pieces of the mold back to their foundry where the foundry cast the pieces of the statue of the horse racing legend. Kim Corpany consulted with the foundry workers and also worked hands on to make sure that the new statue was finished accurately to match Tex Wheeler's original work. While working on this statue, Kim had the opportunity to take measurements from and study this bronze sculpture which had been sculpted while Seabiscuit was alive. Tex Wheeler worked using measurements directly from the horse, sculpting his statue of Seabiscuit on site at Ridgewood Ranch where he had the great horse as a moldel for his sculpture.
The new bronze statue of Seabiscuit was then delivered to the Seabiscuit Heritage Foundation at Ridgwood Ranch. The Seabiscuit Heritage Foundation is working to restore the ranch and offers tours to visitors.
Kim Corpany was later able to use the information and knowledge of Seabiscuit she gleaned from her experience with Tex Wheeler's great statue to create several bronze statues of Seascuit.

About Bronze Sculpture

Bronze Sculpture:
Preserving and caring for your bronze sculpture

           

Care of the Patina on your Bronze Sculpture

Patina (pronounced /ˈpætənə/ or /pəˈtiːnə/) is a tarnish that forms on the surface of bronze which is produced by oxidation or other chemical processes.

Patination is the process of applying layers of color to the surface of a bronze sculpture. The patina artist creates this color by applying chemicals on the sculpture with heat. Patina is also the natural reaction of bronze to atmospheric conditions, such as chemicals and humidity and even man made environmental conditions such as water from sprinklers. The artist or the foundry will protect the patina with coats of wax or a lacquer to deter change in the patina. Because atmospheric elements constantly work on bronze surfaces after leaving the foundry, certain steps can be taken by the art collector to help preserve the original patina of the bronze sculpture.

Bronze is a very durable metal. Your bronze sculpture can last for centuries! The patina is the most delicate part of your bronze.

Many bronze collectors prefer to let the wax coating wear thin and enjoy the natural reaction and aging process of the patina especially on outdoor bronze sculptures.

It is wise to consult with a patina artist, foundry, or art conservator regarding major changes in your bronze sculpture's patina.

I recommend patina artist Laurie Tidwell and her company Patina Works
for excellent patina on bronze sculpture
1(801)367-1276

An excellent book on bronze sculpture patina is available from Colorado patina artist Patrick Kipper.
Patinas for Silicon Bronze, by Patrick Kipper


Care and Cleaning of your Bronze Sculpture

In caring for or cleaning a bronze sculpture, use caution so that no harm is done to the bronze sculpture. Using distilled water sparingly to rinse a bronze is an acceptable method of cleaning. Use care not to get water on a wood base of a bronze, and be sure to dry the entire piece thoroughly using a soft cloth. Do not use detergents or other cleaning agents unless absolutely neccessary and then use with caution by testing the product in a small area. I recommend consulting with a good patina artist or foundry if you are uncertain.

If your bronze sculpture has special coatings or unusual varied patinas, take care to not alter the surface or remove coloring that could damage the future value of the bronze sculpture. Do not use abrasive polishes, brushes or chemicals which could scratch the surface of the metal.

It is important to display your bronze sculpture in a location that will best preserve it. Bronze sculptures should be displayed in well ventilated areas away from excessive heat and humidity.

Keep your bronze sculpture clean by dusting it with a soft cloth, soft paint brush, toothbrush.

Applying wax your Bronze Sculpture

Rather than using waxes or polishes that may contain cleaning agents,
foundries recommend Johnson’s Paste Wax, or Renaissance wax which is inert and will not yellow over time. A thin, even coat of wax should be applied to the clean bronze sculpture using a soft bristle paint brush. The wax should be allowed to set up for several hours, then the bronze sculpture can be buffed or polished using a soft cloth.
A second coat of wax will add additional gloss if desired. There is no harm in waxing a sculpture more frequently if applied in thin coats.
For outdoor bronze sculptures, cleaning and waxing once a year as a minimum
 is recommended.  If the bronze is being exposed to high humidity or other adverse
conditions, waxing the bronze more often may be needed in order to protect and preserve your patina. 
For questions regarding care and preservation of the patina of your bronze sculpture, it is wise to consult with a professional patina artist or bronze foundry


Contact Kim Corpany about commissioning a bronze sculpture or purchasing any of the bronze sculptures shown on this website.
1(801)845-5168
or email: 
kim@corpany.com
 

Bronze Sculpture:
The Lost Wax Bronze Casting Process
Creating a finished bronze sculpture
from a sculpted clay model

                  

This custom horse sculpture of a running horse
 was first modeled in clay, as shown above (left).  The clay sculpture 
is coated with liquid rubber which has been mixed with a catalyst
to harden it (right).  Then rubber is allowed to set up.


(Above) Layers of rubber are added after each coat dries.  After the third
coat of rubber, aluminum shims are added to allow the mold to be
 opened and the clay sculpture removed when it is completed.
Mesh fabric is embedded in the rubber after the fourth coat of rubber,
then more coats of rubber are added to finish the rubber part of
the mold over the horse sculpture.

                               
(Above left) Paper shims are added to divide the pieces of the fiberglass Mother Mold.
(Above right) The fiberglass "mother mold" is built around the rubber mold

              

(Above left) Wax is poured into the mold, the wax sculpture is cut into pieces to
allow it to make a good bronze casting. A bronze of very much size at all must
be hollow in order for the bronze to cast well.  The walls of the wax piece must
 be relatively thin, 1/4 inch or less.  In bronze casting, a thin bronze is a good
 bronze because there will be less shrinkage or distortion in the sculpture.  A
good bronze casting that is thin reproduces the fine details of the artists original
work without distortion.
(Above right) The horse sculpture's head is a hollow wax copy of the original clay model
which has been attached to a wax cup with "sprews" or "gates" which are
 solid wax straws.

                              
(Above left) The wax is then coated in slurry and covered with fine silicon sand.
(Above right) Successive layers of slurry and silicon sand build a ceramic shell. 

                          

(Above left) Later layers of sand are a coarse grit to add strength to the shell. 
The "rock" or ceramic shell that coats the wax sculpture is placed in a burnout furnace where the wax is melted out and the shell is heated to about 1800 degrees.  (Above right) Loading the burnout furnace.
                              

(Above left) placing the lid on the burnout furnace.
Meanwhile bronze ingots are heated in the crucible furnace until they are
liquid and also about 1800 degrees.  The shell is then pulled out of the
burnout furnace and placed in a sand filled cart which is wheeled under
the crucible where bronze has been heated until it is molten.
Then the liquid bronze is then poured into the shell.
(Above  right) Pouring bronze to create a new bronze sculpture.
The ceramic shell filled with molten bronze is set aside to cool. 

                
(Above left) When it has cooled the shell is broken off to reveal the bronze sculpture.
The bronze sculpture is then sand blasted to clean it, and any parts that were cut off
to cause the piece to cast better are welded back on. (Above right)

The welds on the bronze sculpture are ground down and
then re-textured in a process called "metal chasing".
A final sandblast and check are then done on the bronze sculpture
to prepare it for the patina or color.



(Above) The raw bronze horse sculpture is sandblasted and ready for patina.
A bronze sculpture, if left in this raw state will naturally go darker and darker,
eventually becoming nearly black or, if exposed to water, green
due the the copper content of the bronze metal.

The finished bronze horse sculpture after patina (color) has been applied
by the use of chemicals and heat processes to change the color of the metal,
the finish has been sealed with a coat of hot wax, and the piece has been
 mounted on a beautiful walnut wood base.

 (Above) The finished custom bronze horse sculpture!

  This bronze horse sculpture was commissioned by an art collector in Florida and sculpted by Equine Artist Kim Corpany.  To see more photos of this running horse statue,
click on the above photo.

Contact Kim Corpany to commission a custom bronze sculpture of your horse.
Stallion syndicates: Commission a large bronze sculpture of your stallion for the horse facility where the horse stands and smaller desktop size bronze sculptures of your stallion for the homes and offices of the stallion syndicate members.

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